News & Topics

Episode6: Enjoyable Bathroom

2017.05.31

Have you ever heard of the proverb, “Your vibe attracts your tribe.” One day, it turned out that one of our staff has a father who is a well-known manga artist, Mr. Ryo Koshino. We were planning to renovate all bathrooms on each floor when we heard that thing. The owner asked him if it would be possible to create a cartoon character on the wall of the bathrooms to make the finish of the renovation more attractive and sophisticated than an initial plan. Fortunately, he was willing to accept that offer.

Before getting down to work on the walls, Mr.Koshino suggested drawing some famous characters which are easily recognizable to our guests from all over the world, such as Samurai, Geisha, Ninjya. As a result of discussion with him, we decided that it would be a wonderful idea to make a manga story of Japanese old heroes, known as “To Yamano no Kin-san” and “Zenigata Heji.” For the creation of that manga story, not only did he draw about the justice hero, Kin-san but also introduced Ishikawa Goemon as a villain in that story. The interesting thing is that a doctor Masayoshi Turuta appearing in his manga, “Town Doctor Jumbo!!” was born out of his inspiration from Kin-san and Goemon-inspired character was Aoi Misora in “Ns’ Aoi.”

When he finished making those mangas on the walls, he said “I began to grope my way forward as it was the very first time to create manga on the wall in such a big scale. First, I used acrylic colors for the hero in the bathroom on the second floor. But giving a three demential appearance to that picture worked less effective than I expected so I turned down the paint and then repainted the surface by white color. I also decided to switch it to water-based paint.”

Andon Ryokan has been the one and only place where great one meet another. Everything began with once-in-a-life encounter with Mr.Ryo Koshino. We truly appreciate all his tremendous effort and beautiful hand-made works with his passion and imagination. We know this kind of opportunity comes along just once in Andon history since it would rarely happen. Please come and check his extraordinary creations that made Andon Ryokan even more special.

Profile

The Manga Creator, RYO KOSHINO

He was born on September 25th, 1967, in Sanjyo, Nigata. In 1987, he won the fine work of the magazine, Morning Four Seasons in Winter Competition. After graduation from the university in 1991, he started working for an advertisement agency. While working part-time after the retirement from that agency, he began his career as an assistant to a comic artist. In April, 2004 he made his first published manga, “Ns’ Aoi”on Weekly Morning published by Kodansha. The story is depicted about a fledgling nurse Aoi Misora struggling to cope with difficult situation and facing the harsh realities in medical work but with her positive and enthusiastic character. It became very popular amongst general readership regardless of sex and gender. In 2006, it was made into the TV drama series. He began to his serial manga, “Town Doctor Jumbo!!” by Kodansha in the Weekly Gendai. A daring unprecedented doctor Masayoshi,Turuta nicknamed “Jumbo” makes strenuous efforts for regional medicine. The comic series were also turned into TV drama in April, 2013. His new work, “Mr. Haruo Takenaka in charge of Bunk Public Relations” has been serialized in the Weekly Gendai since 2015. “Dr. Ashura” was released serially in Weekly Manga Goraku in the same year.

[Created by the owner, Toshiko Ishii and the artist Mr. Takanori Takane..]

For the tile art, 6 rough drafts for 2 on each floor were designed Mr. Takanori Takane, who also created the beautiful Andon Sky Terrace. Based on those designs, the owner started gluing a tiny piece of tile on the board. by using her hands. It is literally the hand-made work! Each of a board has 3,717 tiles put on it. The total number of those tiles on three floors (each floor 2 boards) are 22,302 pieces ! The owner looked backed on it and said “At first, this work took a lot of patience with concentration but The more I established my own pace, the more I enjoyed it. I was so engrossed with it that I almost lost track of time.”

In addition to it, all the ladies would be very happy with the newly-added rich toiletries, forgetting that it it a shared bathroom. The renovated bathrooms make all our guests feel as relaxed and comfortable as they can even though the space is beautifully minimized.

Let’s talk about how it was renovated….but wait until you see it. It is going to be surprised! We truly believe that everybody can enjoy it. Please make yourself at home with the renovated Andon bathroom. Thank you.

Biography of Takanori Takane

Takanori Takane is a designer, creator and artist currently working on freelance basis after retiring a design office. With his creative mind, spectacular skills and extraordinary effort toward a magnificent piece of work, he currently devotes himself passionately into “Monozukuri-making thing-” such as illustration, graphic design, display, furnishings and all kinds of things from 2D to 3D. He also holds workshops on “ chigiri-e”, a Japanese handmade paper art made by tearing various colored paper, sticking them onto a board or paper, creating a beautifully layered image.

Professional Experience

Designed products and directed production for manufactures, shops and retail clients at a design office for 12years, including catalog, brochure, advertisement, direct mail, POP, etc.